diff --git a/zebra/rib.h b/zebra/rib.h
index 31d9dfd265..a663575e10 100644
--- a/zebra/rib.h
+++ b/zebra/rib.h
@@ -403,6 +403,11 @@ extern int rib_add(afi_t afi, safi_t safi, vrf_id_t vrf_id, int type,
 extern int rib_add_multipath(afi_t afi, safi_t safi, struct prefix *p,
 			     struct prefix_ipv6 *src_p, struct route_entry *re,
 			     struct nexthop_group *ng);
+/*
+ * -1 -> some sort of error
+ *  0 -> an add
+ *  1 -> an update
+ */
 extern int rib_add_multipath_nhe(afi_t afi, safi_t safi, struct prefix *p,
 				 struct prefix_ipv6 *src_p,
 				 struct route_entry *re,
diff --git a/zebra/zapi_msg.c b/zebra/zapi_msg.c
index 27fb5d7c22..f297bafaf0 100644
--- a/zebra/zapi_msg.c
+++ b/zebra/zapi_msg.c
@@ -2110,6 +2110,15 @@ static void zread_route_add(ZAPI_HANDLER_ARGS)
 	ret = rib_add_multipath_nhe(afi, api.safi, &api.prefix, src_p,
 				    re, &nhe);
 
+	/*
+	 * rib_add_multipath_nhe only fails in a couple spots
+	 * and in those spots we have not freed memory
+	 */
+	if (ret == -1) {
+		client->error_cnt++;
+		XFREE(MTYPE_RE, re);
+	}
+
 	/* At this point, these allocations are not needed: 're' has been
 	 * retained or freed, and if 're' still exists, it is using
 	 * a reference to a shared group object.
@@ -2121,15 +2130,15 @@ static void zread_route_add(ZAPI_HANDLER_ARGS)
 	/* Stats */
 	switch (api.prefix.family) {
 	case AF_INET:
-		if (ret > 0)
+		if (ret == 0)
 			client->v4_route_add_cnt++;
-		else if (ret < 0)
+		else if (ret == 1)
 			client->v4_route_upd8_cnt++;
 		break;
 	case AF_INET6:
-		if (ret > 0)
+		if (ret == 0)
 			client->v6_route_add_cnt++;
-		else if (ret < 0)
+		else if (ret == 1)
 			client->v6_route_upd8_cnt++;
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_rib.c b/zebra/zebra_rib.c
index c51dd759a6..2ed025857d 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_rib.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_rib.c
@@ -3453,6 +3453,10 @@ void rib_lookup_and_pushup(struct prefix_ipv4 *p, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
  * allocate: if they allocate a nexthop_group or backup nexthop info, they
  * must free those objects. If this returns < 0, an error has occurred and the
  * route_entry 're' has not been captured; the caller should free that also.
+ *
+ * -1 -> error
+ *  0 -> Add
+ *  1 -> update
  */
 int rib_add_multipath_nhe(afi_t afi, safi_t safi, struct prefix *p,
 			  struct prefix_ipv6 *src_p, struct route_entry *re,
@@ -3567,11 +3571,12 @@ int rib_add_multipath_nhe(afi_t afi, safi_t safi, struct prefix *p,
 
 	SET_FLAG(re->status, ROUTE_ENTRY_CHANGED);
 	rib_addnode(rn, re, 1);
-	ret = 1;
 
 	/* Free implicit route.*/
-	if (same)
+	if (same) {
+		ret = 1;
 		rib_delnode(rn, same);
+	}
 
 	/* See if we can remove some RE entries that are queued for
 	 * removal, but won't be considered in rib processing.